The Mission of the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies
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NSCSS is posting lesson plans, book reviews significant to social studies, and editorials from our members. If you are interested in seeing your work reflected on our website please send your contributions to nebraskasocialstudiescouncil@gmail.com ================ |
NSCSS congratulates our colleague and ardent supporter, Dr. Randy Bertolas! Dr. Bertolas is a geography professor and the Chair of the History, Politics and Geography Department at Wayne State College.
He is the recipient of two prestigious awards from the National Council for Geographic Education, the Distinguished Mentor Award AND the Geographic Excellence in Media Award for the Student Atlas of Nebraska. He will be honored in August at the National Conference on Geography Education.
A Farewell Letter from Out-going NCSS President Terry Cherry
June 2018
June 30, will end my term as President of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). The time I spent as President has been a roller coaster ride, with highs, lows, twists, and loops. As the ride ends, I am glad I went on it and would do it over again if I could.
NCSS is approaching its 100th anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2020. That year our country will also elect a president, participate in the summer Olympics in Japan, celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment, and certainly witness other major events.
To prepare for NCSS's second hundred years, I have been explaining to members that it is time for some changes. We can no longer be an organization that only supports conferences and publications. Larry Paska, the NCSS Executive Director, and the NCSS staff are reaching out beyond our social studies education communities to share our message and build new partnerships. Larry understands, as we all do, that NCSS has a message, which needs to be heard by everyone.
As we approach our centennial, NCSS needs to consider what its future vision and mission should be. Is it time for a name change? NCSS has some international ties and those need to be expanded. This would require use of the term International. The term social studies is mostly used in the United States. Other countries use the term social science. There are some states that now are replacing social studies with social science. International Council of the Social Science or something close to that needs to be our new name taking us into our bicentennial.
Last September NCSS board of directors held its first-ever meeting in conjunction with a state council. Cincinnati, Ohio, hosted the Ohio Council for the Social Studies and the NCSS board met during the conference. This allowed social science educators to meet the NCSS board members and allowed board members to participate in a state council conference. I do hope this pattern continues of engaging NCSS board members with state council members during a state conference.
The bulk of NCSS membership is classroom teachers approximately 88%. The remaining members come from Associated Groups. This year the Board of Directors has reached out to our Associated Groups more fully than in the recent past. They were included in our March board meeting. The Associated Groups have been given 4 positions on the Nominations and Elections Committee. In the next few years board positions could be exclusively from members of the four groups.
Is this a positive move or not? That is something you as a NCSS member need to consider. Representation of all NCSS members is important. A balanced representation is also important.
The future of NCSS depends on each member. You as an NCSS member are also an ambassador of our discipline. Telling people who we are, explaining the importance of social science in the curriculum, and reminding everyone that we teach citizenship. NCSS is working on giving you the tools to share our message. We welcome any suggestions, ideas, and methods on ways to promote your organization.
During the 2017-2018 year some accomplishments have been:
- Hiring a Director of Marketing & Membership and a Youth Engagement Program Manager to expand our marketing and Rho Kappa programs, and re-structuring a department built on member services.
- Revising several other positions, including a Membership Program Manager, Member Engagement Program Manager, and a Meetings & Education Program Manager.
- Expanding membership options to include Online and Premium Memberships, and joint memberships with Affiliated Councils and the National Council for Geographic Education.
- Building a new Institutional Membership option for services offered to organizations, starting Summer 2018.
- Building new subscription services to promote individual benefits to the general public, starting Summer 2018.
- Launching a monthly webinar series for leadership groups to connect with each other and strengthen our internal professional learning network.
- Creating new partnerships with education associations and institutions to expand professional learning, networking, and membership options.
- Increasing the frequency of issues for The Social Studies Professional, communications with leadership groups, and social media engagement.
I ask that you welcome and support our new NCSS President beginning July 1, India Meissel. One of the best ways to support the new president and NCSS is to sign up to attend our annual National Conference in Chicago, November28-December2. Registration is now open on the NCSS website www.socialstudies.org/conference.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President. The ride is slowing down and the end is in sight. But there are other rides to take for you and me within the NCSS. May you as an NCSS member find your special ride, use your gifts and talents as together we build NCSS into an International organization. Together we seek ways to promote NCSS as the only organization to representing social science educators. At the end of our ride, we can say we helped the world to know the importance of social science in the lives of students and adults.
Terry Cherry
NCSS President 2017-2018
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$100 buys a lot of ice cream. Start summer off with a little extra cash.
Please take this 2 second, 2 item survey and you will be entered into a drawing to win one of five $100 cash prizes!
(Not to mention, you'll be helping us with CAP!)
Survey Deadline: Monday, July 18, 2018
Click below for survey!
www.crfcap.org/mod/page/view.php?id=390#survey
And have a great summer. You deserve it!
$100 buys a lot of ice cream. Start summer off with a little extra cash.
Please take this 2 second, 2 item survey and you will be entered into a drawing to win one of five $100 cash prizes!
(Not to mention, you'll be helping us with CAP!)
Survey Deadline: Monday, July 18, 2018
Click below for survey!
www.crfcap.org/mod/page/view.php?id=390#survey
And have a great summer. You deserve it!
601 South Kingsley Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90005 213.487.5590, crf@crf-usa.org
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From the 2018 Conference...
From the 2018 Conference...
*****Go to the Annual Conference (Awards) page to see some of Nebraska's other outstanding social studies educators!*****
GRAND ISLAND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER NAMED
2018 NEBRASKA HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Tracy Jakubowski, an American history teacher at Grand Island Senior High School was recently named the 2018 State History Teacher of the Year, an award sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
The History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one exceptional K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and US Territories.
Jakubowski puts an emphasis on building relationships with her students. “Knowing our students inside and out is what enables us to reach them on a level that will ignite their love for learning,” says Jakubowski. She shows that relationship by acting as a facilitator in the classroom, allowing students to take responsibility for learning.
Jakubowski will receive a $1,000 award and Grand Island Senior High School will become a Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School and will receive history books and educational materials from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Jakubowski will also be one of 53 finalists for the $10,000 National History Teacher of the Year Award and will receive an invitation to a 2019 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar, a weeklong program which offers teachers daily discussions with eminent historians, visits to historic sites, and hands-on work with primary sources.
Jakubowski will be honored with the award at the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies annual conference on May 31st. More information on the conference can be found at http://www.nebraskasocialstudiescouncil.org/annual-conference.html.
Melissa Schram Named Reiser Economic Educator of the Year
L-R: Mary Lynn Reiser, Jennifer Davidson, Melissa Schram, Jamie Wagner
On Monday May 14, Mary Lynn Reiser, award namesake, Jennifer Davidson, NCEE President and Jamie Wagner, Director of the UNO Center for Economic Education, went to Millard West for a surprise presentation to Melissa Schram. Melissa was nominated by four different people for this prestigious award. The nominations stated "Melissa is an amazing teacher. She loves economics and works hard to help students understand its importance." Another said, "She is devoted to economics and really loves the subject. She continually works to improve her economic understanding by going to Council/Center workshops" and finally, "Melissa has tirelessly volunteered many hours developing an Economics Club at Millard West; under her guidance her students have won many awards."
It was exciting to present this award to her in one of her classes as her students watched. You could see they were proud. Fellow business teachers and Millard West principal, Greg Tiemann, also joined the presentation.
The Mary Lynn Reiser award is an annual award given by the Nebraska Council on Economic Education to recognize teachers and other educators who have made a major impact over the years on the teaching of economics and personal finance in the state of Nebraska. Melissa will have her name on a perpetual plaque at both NCEE and UNO Center offices. She also received a trophy and a $250 cash award.
It was exciting to present this award to her in one of her classes as her students watched. You could see they were proud. Fellow business teachers and Millard West principal, Greg Tiemann, also joined the presentation.
The Mary Lynn Reiser award is an annual award given by the Nebraska Council on Economic Education to recognize teachers and other educators who have made a major impact over the years on the teaching of economics and personal finance in the state of Nebraska. Melissa will have her name on a perpetual plaque at both NCEE and UNO Center offices. She also received a trophy and a $250 cash award.